Atoms

[Beswad]

Is peeling (smashing) the atom is as infinite as the universe itself? Or have we already reach to the basic building blocks of atoms?

[gerkin]

electrostatic and gravitational forces associated with atoms only amount to about 20% of the energy in the universe.  80% of the universes energy comes from dark matter which we do not yet understand.

[QmunkE]

Currently, the theory goes that all subatomic particles we have discovered (or predict to exist) are, at some nearly infinitly tiny level, made out of one dimensional "strings". These strings are theorised to vibrate in some fashion, not entirely sure why, but they are the smallest things that science currently predicts to exist. What are strings made out of? Who knows.

[tracymort]

channel 4 recently had a couple of programmes on sunday nights that you might have liked.  http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/W/what_we_still_dont_know/

they are bound to repeat so worth keeping an eye out.

[Farseer]

Surely more energy is in the form of dark energy not dark matter, if im correct dark energy is a force similar to gravity but in the opposite way. It repels thing instead of attracting them.

[georgeous]

atoms you know are made up of protons neutrons and electrons in most cases but physicians have discovered quarks with a subparticles of protons and neutrons, there are many different types, but there is the string theory which QmunkE has mentioned and is correct but they have not yet proved it, but it goes on the basis that all things are made up of tiny strings.